Book Description

From the museum: Calculations and Coincidences brings together three pioneers of algorithmic art; Vera Molnár, Dóra Maurer and Gizella Rákóczy through their works from the Hungarian National Bank Collection. The exhibition focuses primarily on the profound influence of Molnar, who was unquestionably among the most significant names in computer art, while tracing how the artistic explorations of Maurer and Rákóczy have expanded the boundaries of abstraction through the integration of algorithms and mathematics.

The publication accompanying the exhibition features Kinga Rózsa Hamvai’s curatorial text and Kerem Ozan Bayraktar’s essay, “I Love Order but I Can’t Stand It,” which takes its title from Vera Molnár’s words. Bayraktar’s text explores Molnár’s practice alongside the historical context of algorithmic art. The publication also includes interviews conducted by Hans Ulrich Obrist with artists Vera Molnár and Dóra Maurer, as well as Gizella Rákóczy’s article, “Four-Armed Spirals,” which reflects on her own practice. Finally, Jon McCormack, Oliver Bown, Alan Dorin, Jonathan McCabe, Gordon Monro, and Mitchell Whitelaw address generative computer art through a series of ten questions.